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As we gear up for another round of bargaining later in the year, we scored a significant victory for San Joaquin County chapter workers. At the January 11, 2022 meeting of the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors, it was approved that there would be a one-time COVID-19 payment for qualifying employees, totaling up to $1,000 each.

The payment will be included on your February 18, 2022 paycheck.

Dec. 20, 2021: “I can think of a half a dozen employees that the County has offered jobs to here on the coast, but they had to turn down the offer, because they couldn’t find anywhere to live,” reported one Mendocino County employee in a survey. “The average apartment rents for about $1200 to $1300 per month. The rental agency requires your income to be three times the rent. I make around $35 per hour, and I can’t even afford that. How is someone who makes minimum wage or is a single parent supposed to find a place to live?” laments another survey respondent.

Dec. 14, 2021: 

Folks who know SEIU 1021 Sonoma County Chapter President Jana Blunt and are familiar with her work with the union agree: She is an amazing leader who gets s*%t done. Her fierce, persistent, and creative organizing and advocacy was crucial in successfully saving 45+ County workers’ jobs in less than a year and, most recently, winning hazard pay for all County employees for their work and sacrifice throughout the pandemic. And she is still fighting hard for an equitable countywide telework policy.

As CDC guidelines continue to evolve as the vaccination rate climbs, many employers are revisiting their telecommuting policies and the Sonoma County Chapter is no exception. Chapter leaders in Sonoma, however, have recognized how discrimination and inequity can dictate who does and does not have access to remote work options and are taking action.
 

In May of 2020, the country and most of the world were shocked as we witnessed the untimely loss of George Floyd’s life at the hands of the Minneapolis Police Department. As the pain and outrage of another state-sanctioned murder sparked movements and marches across the globe, Troyle Tognoli, the Mendocino County Chapter Vice President, was activated to call on her peers and organize her community to bring awareness and change through the Black Lives Matter movement.